Process and apparatus for producing oxids of nitrogen by means of a rotary flame.



I. MOSOIQKI. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING OXIDS OF NITROGEN BY MEANS OF A ROTARY FLAME APPLICATION FILED OUT. 3, 190a.

Patented Ma 4, 1909.

IGNACY MOSQIOKI, or FBEIBURG, SWITZERLAND.

EROCESS AND APPARATUSFOR Specification of Lettei'sI-"atent.

rnonoome oxID s or NITROGEN BY MEANS or A ROTARYFLAME.

Patented May 4:, 1909. J

Application filed October 3, 1908. Serial No. 456,009.

'To all whom it concern Be it knou'nfthat I, IcNAcr lVlOSGlOKI,

'electricia-n, citizen of Russia, residing at Freiburg, Confederation "of Switzerland,

'haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement-in Processes andiApparatus for Producing Oxids, of Nitrogen by Means of a Rotary Flame; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap-- pertains to make and use the same. In the production of oxids-of nitrogen by the electrical, process the voltage employed. should be as high as possible in order that work may be carried on with a current of low intensity for a given energy consumption and as far as possible the wearing away of the electrodes be avoided.- When the rotary flame isemployed, the employable voltage, together with the length of the flame.

and the pressure to which the gas is sub.- jected, is strength. of the magnetic field.

The efiective voltage in a .fiame rotating in a magnetiofield can be increased by increasing the strength of th'e magnetic field. In order to ellect this in a considerable degree electromagnets must be employed, the

two poles of which must be' as near each other as possible and between which the flame rotates. This only leads up to such practical forms as those in which a metal body is situated in proximity to the one electrode, and formsa part of the electrode or is metallically connected therewith.

' These adjacently situated parts of the two electrodes do not allow the efiective potential in the flame to increase sufliciently when, in the working, ionized gases are between them, as constant short circuitings of the flame occur. In order to avoid this, gases not entering into reaction or relatively cold'can be employed for increasing the resistance between the adjacently situated parts, as they are conveyed between these parts. This resistance can be so. far increased by interposing the relatively cold gasesthat, when the flame is maintained by alternating current, the ignitionsrecurring at every half period do not take place in the I shortest path between the electrodes but over a larger length near Where the flame was extlngulshed Likewise in cases in partially determined by the again.

which the attainment of the highest possible concentration withoutfr'eduction of the yield requires that one electrode shall be constructed as a-c ooling body, which is at a slight distancefrom and opposite the other electrode and against which theflame sweeps ill] rotating, the introduction of relatively coldjgases into the central part of the space betweenthe two electrodes, wherethe. dis- .tances apart are slightest,--renders possible the employment of a high effective voltage, as theoccurrence of short-circuit flames between the nearest adjacent pointson the two electrodes'is avoided and thereby the formation of long rotary flames is insured.

The introduction of the previously mentioned auxiliary gases or vapors on the side of the flame opposite to, that on which the reaction gases are introduced, and the withdrawal of these auxiliary gases-or vapors can be regulated so that the latter, passing as closely as possible to the flame, form the surface of a cone. The great velocity of the gases passing through the flame, which connection with a continuous rotary flame can be used by employing relatively small sectional areas. for glven quantities ofenergy, makes it impossible for the auxiliary gases or vapors to enterthe flameauxiliary gases or vapors, use is made of -such as can be easily separated from the reaction ss-I gases, for example aqueous vapor or gases.

previously enriched with oxids of n'itrogen and sufficiently cooled, or such as in the further treatment would. in any case have 'to be added to the reaction gases. For thispurpose also gases similar to those coming into reaction may be used They .jcanbe carried off separately from the reaction gases coming out of the flame and be utilized From time to time a portion; of;

these gases which is to be replaced by fresh gases, can be conveyed into'the flame as re action gases, in order that the small percent-1 age of oxids of nitrogen which has mixed"'*- with the gases in the zone of contact may not be lost.

- An apparatus suitable for carrying but the process describedabove is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawmg.

Figure l'is a vertical section, Fig. 2 a

plan partly in horizontal section.

Between the two pole pieces 0 and of a. i

the two windings e and e the two electrodes a and Z) are arranged in such a manner that sequently the flame rotates under the influence of themagnetic field in direct proximity to the flat electrode Z). f and g are respectively the admission and discharge passages for the cooling water for the electrode a. i p

Through the pole piece 0 and the electrode a runs a passage h, through which the gass are conducted, which are not intended for the reaction in the flame, and therefore flow in between the flame and the outl=t passages Z in the electrode 6. The gases intended for reaction in the flame are forced through a and flow through the annular space which is shut off by the insulating cylinder 70 subpassing downward through the flame. v

The gases introduced into the furnace through '2' and h'alike pass through the pas sagesZ into the collecting chamber m, whence they are drawn off through a pipe n.

The cooling water for cooling the electrode b and the discharge passages for the warm gases, is introduced through the pipe 0 and flows away through p.

The projecting rib 9 serves for distributing the gases intended for the reaction suit; ably to the flame; The two pole pieces-c and (Z are insulated from the electromagnet by two thin insulating layers 8 and s;

I t and t are the two current conductors for theelectrodes a and b. The electrode b carries in the centera cone for deflecting the auxiliary gases. The flame rotatesbeing under the influence of the powerful magnetic field and affected by the direction of flow of the reaction gaseson the free end of the electrode a andforms a surface of rotation, which is situated at a slight distance from the upper extremity of the electrode 6. The gases entering through the passage h, which are not intended to enter into reaction, are introduced in such quantities that they spread out below the flame over the electrode 6 in a conical form the surface of which as nearly as possible reaches the rotating flame.

The reaction gases introduced through the passage 2' are deflected by the rib 9* toward the middle, and then caused by the cone formed by the auxiliary gases to flow along its surface toward the outermost parts of the electrode 6. Although the electrodes a and Z) are at a slight distance apart and opposite one another, no short circuiting of the ro tary flame'can occur in the shortest path between the two electrodes, because the cone formed by the auxiliary gases prevents any spreading of hot ionized gases in the central part betweenthe two electrodes, so that the resistance in this spot remains high.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. A'step in the process of producing oxids, consisting'in maintaining electrically a flame between the electrodes; interposing auxiliary cooling gases between the electrodes to increase the resistance and prevent short clrcuiting and introducing reaction gases'tothe influence of said flame.

2. A stepin the process of producing oxids, consisting in maintaining a flame between electrodes; and introducing auxiliary cooling gases within the flame.

- 3. "A step in the process of producing oxids, consistingof maintaining a flame between electrodes; introducing auxiliary cooling gases on one side of the flame and introducing reaction gases onthe other side of the flame.

4. An apparatus for producing oxid, consisting of a pair of electrodes;..a suitable source of current supply connected therewith; means for producing'a magnetic field; means for introducing auxiliary coolirig gases between the electrodes; and means for introducing'reaction gases between the electrodes.

5. In an apparatus for producing oxids,

a pair of electrodes, one of which is formed with a conduit for the introduction of auxiliary cooling gases; a suitable source of current supply connected with said electrodes; and means for introducing reaction gases be tween said electrodes;

6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a pair of electrodes, one of" which is formed with a conduit for the introduction of gas; and means for introducing gas between said electrodes. In testimony whereof I ailix my signature to this specification, in the presence of two witnesses.

IGNAcY Moscroxr.

WVitnesses FRIEDRICH NAseELr, FRIEDRICH LU-rz. 

